The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-07

presented 70 me an application 70 nave
Gen. Lee assigned TO the general CON
troll Of our armies, to which I replied
that the only obstacle TO compliance
with the request was Gen. Lees un.
willingness TO undertake the task, and
recited the facts Of his previous essign-
ment to that duty, and why he had
been relieved from It.
Near the close Of the war, when
many, as is usual in time Of disaster,
were hunting for speculative expedi-
ents, the Confederate Congress iDl'
tiated measure which substantially
gave TO Gen. Lee the powers and d.
ties assigned to him by the Executive
in 1851. That we3 q general command
under the authority of the President |
OF the Confederate States, the consti- |
tutional COMMANDMENT. Chief OF the
army. 1t was not in The power OF
Congress, except by impe achment, to
abridge or assume the authority with
which the President was invested by
the constitution. The Official and
personal relations between Gen. Lee
and myself remained unchanged; he
consulted me as before, and the friend
1
diets was only made closer and firmer
by our common hopes, anxieties and
trials in defenses Of cause to which
both bad pledged person and property
and whatever ambition might have
anticipated from the reputation gained
in the service Of the United States.
After the manner of a vulgarian,
Gen. Woleeley refers to the promotion
of officers, constitutional function CT
the President and the Senate Of the
Confederate States, as the acts Of Ny.
Davis, and his language implies that
it ives a power of which Gen. Lee
was deprived, and that his mi itary
policy was embarrassed by this same
Mr.. Davis. Where Gen. Wclseley got
the material r his structure Is unim-
portant. 1t matters not whether 1t
was obtained where he learned his
nomenclature, or was evolved rom
his internal consciousness; as it 10 not
true in the sense and for the purpose
for which it was presented. Though
the law OF our organization required
the President 10 nominate aud by
and with the advice and consent oil
the Senate" to appoint officers, the
nominations we're made usually on the
oaacisl reports and the Recommended
ton OF the general commanding the
army In which the officer was to serve.
, In Gen. Lees army, l am quite sure
, no promotions we're made without his
, special recomme adstion, and no sub
ordinate retained in his army whom he
reported to be incapable. For the
a foregoing reasons Gen. Wolseley could
a not have got his ideas from Gen. Lee
!. but all doubt, II any existed, must give
i way before the conclusive force OF Gen
a Lees testimony before the grand jury
!. in Richmond.
. Soon after the close Of the war,
n grand jury found bills Of indictmen
s against Gen. Lee and myself. Gen
l. Grant with manly integrity and sol
y dierly pride, insisted that he had &C
l. cepted the parole of Gen. Lee, ant
d could not consent to his arrest ant
n trial in violation Of the pledge OF
which the parole was given. Th
a United States Government suspended
4 the prosecution of Lee, but in order t.
!, improve the indictment against me
n impaneled another grand jury, an
a summoned Gen. Lee as witness, b.
y whom to establish overt acts done b.
10 me, which might sustain the indic'
"a ment for treason against the Unite
IA States.
Is II it was expected that Lee wcul
n seek eafety by transferring to me an
ID responsibility which was his own, tn
d expectation belonged to q lower stand
r aud OF honesty and chivalry tbs ths
,e by which Gen. Lee was governed. L
IN the INQUIRIES whether he was not &C
ID ing under my instructions, enumera
ir ing several of his movements and bs
Id Ties, he answered that he had Away
" consulted me when it was prscticsbl
Id to do so, and that we had always fna
of ly reached the same conclusion on an
as question we discussed. That his a,
tons had therefore been in conformit
d, to his judgment, aud he could not ga
ill that he would have acted Different
us il there had been no conference wit
nv me, and must therefore himself bei
er the responsibility attaching to his act
re- Substantially thus spoke Lee whe
he a lees able man might have availed
o. the opportunity to avoid danger /
transferring the responsibility to oil
IN. on whom it would certainly gladly
,er placed He met me Immediately aft
CHI leaving the jury room, and report'
lis what had occurred there. Enough b
cts been given sbove 10 show that
8 a never felt embarrassed in his militia
OF affairs by my interference, or q
nat grieved by the Withholding iTom:hi
W. OF any power which belonged to hi
om as general, commanding one or NAL
Ish many armies.
ia In the comparison instituted b
as tween the cases Of Gems. Waahingt'
ia and Lee, and the hypothesis of a N
On Davis, the first impression made "
est how very puerile, and then, unable
sry realize that a British officer of hi
er, grade could be SO ignorant of I
ed, many important differences in T
cases, the question occurred, why
art should be 80 perverted and spitei
ans against one who does not rememt
be- ever to have seen him, or to have +
zen any interest in him, except when
TIA port created the unrealized hope Ii
On, he would cave Gen. Charles Cord
nd from impending sacrifice.
J OF JEFFERSON DAVIS
'ws BRAUvoIR, Miss May oh.